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Writing Reports

By dividing the task of writing into three distinct steps, you'll find the process of writing easier and discover shortcuts that will save you time. The three steps are Step One Get Your Thoughts in Order Step Two Create a Draft on Paper (or on Your Computer) Within each chapter, there are several exercises. Intended to ensure that you practice using the tools, the exercises are challenging and fun. Additionally, the exercises will help you prove to yourself that you'll be able to remember and...

You have many options in salutations, from using someone's name to employing the generic To Whom It May Concern. When you start a letter or other communication with someone's name, you signal to that person that you know who he or she is. That connection encourages the person to read on. In certain circumstances, you should adhere to formal protocol. Specifically, when writing letters to any member of the diplomatic corps, the military, or elected officials, it's usually best to adhere strictly...

A P.S. is most effective when it reiterates what action you want your readers to take, and what they'll get if they do what you ask. For example, Amanda, an accounts receivable manager in a bank, used a P.S. in her collection letters. I'd often say something like, 'Thanks for seeing that account 1234 is brought up-to-date, or call me directly at ext. 321 to avoid further action being taken.' It's not overly aggressive, but the implication is clear. Pay me or call me, or else. One advantage of...

Generalities are hard to understand, and often they're dull and uninteresting. Converting general statements into specific statements engages readers' interest by increasing believability. One of the easiest ways to add specificity is to add numbers or statistics. For example, if you send an E-mail to your boss informing him or her that the holiday party you were charged with organizing will come in under budget, that's good news, but some bosses might say that it sounds too good to be true....

Adding length helps the document seem more complete or significant. Even if no one refers to the attachments or reads them, it might make sense to include them because of the perception of substance they convey. Components to add to a proposal or report might include a copy of your organization's warranty or guarantee your company's mission statement the executive team or principals' r sum s or CVs the data or statistics on which your recommendations are based several...

One issue that you need to consider is whether to use first or last names. In our informal society, it is common to use first names even when we don't know people well. A better choice, however, is to use last names until you have established a relationship. Many people are offended by the presumption of intimacy that results from an inappropriate use of someone's first name. A letter from a stranger addressing you by your first name may not receive the kind of attention the sender seeks. I...

We've focused on you and your needs (your objective) and your readers and their needs (those benefits that are likely to motivate them). We've considered the proper level of formality a time-saver if you consider it early on in the writing process. Now it's time to pull your thinking together by pausing for a moment and considering the big picture. The Matrix of Persuasion allows you to analyze your overall writing assignment. In the Matrix of Persuasion, two variables are contrasted Is your...

In academic and the most formal writing, traditional standards the formal ones we learned in school still apply. In most kinds of business writing, however, the standard you should use to gauge excellence isn't adherence to academic or traditional rules it's conversation If you would speak it in a professional interaction, you can feel comfortable writing it. It's important to note that this standard, business conversation, does not imply that sloppy or incorrect grammar is acceptable. Just as...

Highlight good news instead of bad news by writing about what can occur, not what can't. Consider the following two sentences He can't see you until four. He can see you at four. One is negative, the other positive. It makes good business sense to write with a positive, not a negative, focus. For instance The legislation prohibits most transactions. The legislation permits some transactions. While you want to make your points clearly and honestly, you want to maintain as positive a tone as you...

Selecting an organizational structure before you begin to write makes the actual writing process easier and more straightforward. If you recognize that you have several separate issues that need to be addressed, you might decide to use the category structure. Having made that decision, the next step is clear identify your categories. On the other hand, if you decide to write using a chronology structure, you won't list categories instead, you'll start at the beginning and continue on...

The chronology organizational structure lays out the sequence of a set of events. Instruction manuals and updates are common applications of this structure. A training manual might use the chronology structure to describe the steps involved in installing a new software program by saying, First, put the CD in the D drive and slide the drawer closed. Second, click on the 'Start' icon. Third, click on the word 'Program,' and so on. Mark, a corporate trainer for an automobile repair firm, explained...

If the group is acting as one unit, the noun is treated as singular. If the group's members are acting individually, the noun is treated as plural. (In British English, collective nouns are treated as plurals.) The Technical Review Board meets in May. (The subject is Board, one unit, singular.) The company is one of the largest employers in California. (The subject is company, one unit, singular.) My family are doing well. (The subject is family, the...

Charlie, a paralegal in a large law office, explains, When I try to outline, I feel as if my brain is in a straight jacket. I go blank. It just doesn't work for me. Hub &amp Spokes is an alternative approach. Instead of following a prescribed organizational format with strict hierarchical rules, Hub &amp Spokes allows you to follow your thoughts in an easy-to-track manner. In the center of a blank piece of paper, draw a circle. Jot a summary of your objective and...

When three or more items are listed, use commas to separate them. For example, note the punctuation of the following sentence During the relocation, Alice will supervise the packing, trucking, and It is considered optional to use the serial comma (before the word and), but it is recommended because serial commas clarify meaning in this case, that the unpacking activities are separate from the packing and trucking activities. If you decide to use the comma in this way, be certain to do so...

In the last chapter you learned how to use two tools to revise your first drafts. By adding specificity with numbers, facts, statistics, and examples, you increased your communications' credibility and your readers' comprehension. By using the FURY principle, you selected the most appropriate words and phrases for your communications when you determined whether your choices were Familiar or Unique, if they would add Richness, or if they were Your favorites. In this chapter we discuss four...

Brad explained that there are several factors that need to be discussed in his report. Transportation interruptions can affect our delivery commitments. Hurricanes in Florida and Georgia and blizzards in Illinois have to be considered. Some states have a greater skilled labor pool and some states are more management friendly than others. We're a nonunion com pany, so we need to consider the labor environment. Also, zoning regulations may impact growth. We have to ask how likely it is that...

Des Moines is convenient for all of us. Des Moines is convenient to Chicago. differ about (something) differ from (something else) differ with (a person) different from (distinct) different than (compared to) We differed about research methodology, not personnel. My current research differs from Josie's in significant ways. I differ with Josie over the methodology we plan to use. My research is different from Josie's. I view it in a different way than Josie does. knocked on (to rap or tap on...

Now that you understand the importance of setting an action-oriented objective, and you are able to identify benefits likely to target various personality types, you're ready to evaluate the appropriate level of formality. Using the Formality Index, you'll answer three simple questions to determine how formal or informal your communication should be. This process helps select the format (e.g., E-mail vs. letter), the tone (e.g., Dear Mr. Jones vs. Dear Richard), and the style (e.g., chief...

When you need to say no but want to either retain the relationship or, at the very least, avoid alienating your readers, consider the Diplomatic No. By focusing on the process by which the decision to say no was derived, you avoid saying anything personal. Form letters and press releases are often written using the Diplomatic No organizational structure. Sonya (see above) said that she talked to more than two dozen candidates during the hiring process. She decided to send a form letter to a...

When asked to do something illegal, unethical, or immoral, it's important to be clear and unequivocal in saying no. The Direct No organizational structure is the most appropriate approach. Kya, a high school guidance counselor, explained that one morning she walked into her office to be greeted by a fax from an overseas contact. I'd met him during a holiday trip some years earlier. His business was helping students of his country apply to American colleges and universities. The fax said that...

One easy way to fix overly long sentences is to break them into two or more separate units. This fix works easily with compound sentences. A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses sentences connected with a conjunction. Eliminate the connector, and you're left with two shorter sentences. Consider, for example, this sentence We received notice of your intention to attend the trade show, and we will send you full details by the end of the week. The sentence is clear and...

It's easy in retrospect to carefully understand why some of us lean toward selecting Florida but we should use objective, not subjective, criteria to make the decision. If we do that, we must go with Georgia. What do you think Is it benefit oriented and memorable Brad said, It's pretty clear and the text anticipates an argument some committee members might make, which I think is good. The fact that the last line is short helps make it memorable. But it's not benefit oriented. I can do better....

In your own draft, and in Brad's, look for opportunities to add examples, numbers, or facts. Because your work on Brad's report is speculative in nature, feel free to make up likely numbers or statistics. The goal of this exercise isn't to belabor the details rather, it is to ensure that you understand the importance of adding specificity and to be certain you know where and how to integrate examples and numbers. How many specific references did you add to your own draft and to Brad's Here's...

In the following example, rewrite the text by adding numbers or statistics. Read the explanatory paragraph, and then revise to add specificity. Harriet, president of a floral supply company, wants to send an E-mail to motivate her employees to do their best work despite gloomy economic conditions. Six months ago, all associates in her company had their pay cut by 5 percent managers had their pay cut by 15 percent. Although business is still down, Harriet wants to report a slight upswing in...

Van, vice president of a finance company, needed to send an E-mail to alert managers that budget cuts were going to be instituted. Read Van's opening sentence below and revise it by adding specific facts, numbers, or examples to improve clarity and increase credibility. Use your imagination to make up relevant specifics, then compare your revision to the three alternatives that Van came up with. Van's E-mail began, In anticipation of a financial slowdown, every manager is expected to develop...

Take your time as you work with the four concepts described above to improve the drafts. Sentences, you'll recall, should average fewer than fifteen to twenty words. Identify and correct misplaced modifiers and undefined technical terminology. Look for negative sentence constructions or words and rewrite to accentuate the positive. And be certain there's consistency throughout the communication. Did you make significant changes Brad did. He said, I made every one of those errors and I spotted...

Calculate your first draft's Empathy Index, revise to improve it, and focus on your lead. Do the same with Brad's first draft. Brad used italics to indicate references to his readers and underlining to indicate references to himself. See if your calculation of Brad's Empathy Index agrees with his. Using proprietary stochastic simulation techniques, incorporating data collected from numerous sources of government and other public data information as well as data collected from interviews...

Complete the following sentences, ensuring proper subject verb and noun pronoun agreement. 1. Roberta said she'd go to work for_paid 2. The cabinet, along with the files,_to Willy. 3. The staff expressed_support for the 4. You went to the party with_ 5. The mayor, as well as his deputies,_the initiative was a success. (say says) 6. Neither the conductor nor the pianist_aware of the 8. The report, with all of its attachments,_a strong 9. I'll go to the meeting with_leaves first. How did you do...

In creating your first draft, you want to write with the organizational structure you've selected in mind. Are you going to adopt Brad's idea and start with a PAR paragraph followed by Q&amp A Or are you going to use another structure or a combination of structures Remind yourself of the vocabulary that's best to use to reach Producers, as well as the words and phrases that are likely to speak to the other personality types. (If you need help, see Table 1.1 on page 9.) Focus on your starting...

You have been asked to write a reference letter for a colleague whom you respect and admire. Think about who this might be. It might be someone you went to school with, or it might be someone you have worked with in the past or work with now. Whomever you choose, think about the job this person would logically be applying for at this point in his or her career. Think about the person who would be conducting the interview. That stranger the person your colleague is hoping will hire him or her is...

The next task is to look for misplaced modifiers and undefined jargon or technical terminology. Did you find any If so, correct them. Brad said, Rereading the sentence about getting a fresh view, I realized that there was a misplaced modifier. Of course the risk manager knew about doing business in Florida and Georgia it was my assistant who lacked knowledge. I revised the sentence to read 'To get a fresh view, one of my assistants with no knowledge of the risks involved in doing business in...

In the last chapter you learned to be vigilant in proofing your work so that your documents are correct before they leave your office. Now review your draft and Brad's, correcting any errors you find. Did you find many errors Brad did. He said, I found all sorts of errors. I had subject verb agreement, word usage, and grammar issues. Here are the errors Brad identified and his comments. 1. All data is verified by fact checkers. I revised the verb to maintain the past tense, Brad explained. All...

Revise the following sentences to make the copy less stilted, avoid split infinitives, and ensure proper punctuation. 1. Mr. Wexler always tries to fully investigate the causes of a company's bankruptcy. 2. Julia without her Tom is nothing. 3. Kyu-Ja said Linda What time is the train expected to arrive 4. It has come to our attention that Marybeth from Dallas Charlie from Portland Dee from Chicago and Brian from Phoenix all need to meet with the advertising team. 5. Each of the supervisors is...

Barry, a sales manager for a large printer, explains, I'm always wordy. I find myself writing run-on sentences and I don't use modifiers well. Take a look at Barry's E-mail draft asking his sales staff for their analysis of why sales are down. After looking thoroughly at your reports on last month's sales calls describing who you saw and what objections to closing the sales were raised, and reviewing those special and extraordinary events such as the blizzard in the upper Midwest, as well as...

Of the nine organizational structures detailed in Chapter Two (see page 26), five are useful to convey positive information. Given that Brad had stated that his recommendation is good news, he knew that he would select one of those five. As you review them, remember your goal to persuade the executive committee to adopt your recommendation without further analysis. 3. PAR (problem or opportunity action results) Which structure do you think is best Each of the five structures would work there is...

Consult Exhibit 1.1 (page 21) to refresh your memory as you determine which quadrant Brad's project is in. Are the committee members likely to be on Brad's side Can they do as he asks How did you assess Brad's writing challenge Brad said, Some members are on my side they want what's best for the company. Some others aren't on my side, although they probably wouldn't see it that way. But I know that a couple of people are pretty entrenched in their views and their view is that they want...

Draw a circle in the center of a sheet of paper and write a summary of your objective and audience analysis inside. Focus on the key words that will affect your targeted personality types, the desired level of formality, your goal to persuade or educate, and the organizational structure you've selected. Once you're ready to concentrate, draw spokes out from the center circle and jot notes to yourself. Take as long as you need, stopping only when you're out of ideas. When you're done, look for...

You're now ready to write a first draft. In Chapter Two, you created an outline or a Hub &amp Spokes model for a reference letter for a colleague. Review your outline or model to remind yourself of the points you want to make. What is your most compelling benefit Where do you want to start What's your objective While there are countless ways to write a letter of reference, effective ones share some qualities a sincere tone, relevant information, and an offer to follow up. Get your thoughts in...

In the following example, Stuart, an analyst for a city government agency, has followed the steps outlined in the book thus far. My boss told me it is imperative that I be precise in my writing, explains Stuart, and I agree. She needed a report about school renovations. I want the report to be clear and straightforward. My objective is to arm my boss with plenty of facts and figures for her next town hall meeting. She's a top adviser to the mayor, so she appears with him often and needs to be...

In Chapter One, we discussed how acronyms impact readers' perceptions about the formality or informality of your communications. Acronyms and technical terminology need to be explained, defined, or referenced unless 100 percent of your readers understand the jargon. Keep in mind that even if most of your readers know what you mean, some might not. Be sensitive to guests and newcomers. Acronyms can be useful as shorthand, but they can be confusing to readers who aren't familiar with your...

Allowing your text to end where it ends naturally is an easy and effective technique. I ran out of things to say, explains Fred, a graphic designer. I was writing a proposal to get a new computer setup. I'd made my points clearly and needed to end with a bang. Using the list of closing approaches as a checklist was very helpful. The action I wanted my boss to take was obvious and saying something like 'Call me and authorize this purchase' is totally inappropriate. I considered closing with a...

No matter how high you score on the Empathy Index, no matter how strong your reader focus, try to adhere to the Rule of First Reference, which says that your first reference should be to your readers, not yourself. It's not always possible to do, but if you can, it's a good idea. Compare these two leads I am pleased to report that last year's numbers are better than expected. Thanks to your hard work, last year's numbers are better than expected. Note that the first example isn't terrible or...

Many people make subject verb agreement errors because they mistakenly trust their ear. But your ear may have been trained to hear something as correct when it's not. Be certain that your ear guides you correctly before relying on how it sounds. Mistakes frequently occur when using specific words that are always, by definition, either singular or plural. For example, use a singular verb after each, everyone, everybody, nobody, someone, every, one, another, and much. Use a plural verb after few,...

Another way to add credibility is to add examples to illustrate your points. Examples are especially effective in converting general statements into understandable and practical information. For instance, instead of saying We are working to care for the environment, say We are recycling plastics, glass, aluminum, and paper in our efforts to care for the environment. The former sentence is general, the latter is specific. Jed, a financial analyst, has to present a monthly report to senior...

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Least effective of all is a generic salutation. However, there are times when it's the best solution. In standard business letters making a common request, for example, a generic salutation may be the most appropriate way to go. Frank needed to request a replacement hose for his vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner company had announced that the hose was defective and customers could send for a free replacement. Starting the letter with 'To Whom It May Concern' was easy and effective. The...

Intervening, modifying phrases often add interesting details or important qualifications. However, it's easy to become confused about which word in a sentence is the subject. For example, consider this sentence The briefcase (subject, singular) containing all the reports was (verb, singular) in Max's car. It's easy to see why you might be confused the noun closest to the verb is plural (reports). Nevertheless, the modifying phrase containing all the reports should be ignored in making the...

Danielle, a graphic designer, says, I send E-mails back and forth to other designers and to the writers within the company all day long. I want my communications to convey a professional image, but they're usually short and simple, so what's most important for me to proof is that my meaning is clear and my grammar is correct. Beyond that, proofing would be a waste of time. Note that the first level of proofing is appropriate for Danielle because her communications have these attributes low...

Misplaced modifying phrases sometimes result in odd, even humorous interpretations. Be certain to position the modifying word or phrase as close as possible to the term that is being modified. Consider, for example One of our executives has been sent to a counselor with a drinking A counselor with a drinking problem It would be better to write One of our executives with a drinking problem has been sent to a counselor. The modifying phrase with a drinking problem needs to be next to what is...

Some professional writers say that they write their last sentence first so they'll always know where they're heading. It's an interesting approach. Think about it this way You expressed your purpose in writing as a statement of action your objective. By writing the end first, you can use it to guide you as you write your communication. For example, if your objective is to have all team members submit their activity reports by the 15th of the month, you might consider closing your message by...

Sometimes, even though you need to say no to something, you might have an idea that would be of value to your readers. The No with an Alternative organizational structure is appropriate when you have a viable alternative to suggest. It might be used on a website or in a letter. Fran said that she used the No with an Alternative organizational structure on her website. When we decided to stop producing a certain brand of shampoo, we knew there'd be some disappointed customers. But it was a done...

Having selected an organizational structure, you're ready to put an outline or the Hub &amp Spokes model to work. The Hub &amp Spokes model is a visual, nonlinear way to organize your thinking and an alternative to traditional outlining. No matter how complex the project, outlines and the Hub &amp Spokes model will help you get your most important ideas on paper and you'll do it in about five to ten minutes. Both systems, traditional outlining and the Hub &amp Spokes model, serve two purposes....

Even if you only have minutes to conceive, draft, revise, and produce a finished message, take a breather before your final read through. Time allows you to read it with a fresh perspective, and you're likely to spot errors you might not have caught otherwise. Brad said, I didn't realize that I hadn't mentioned the Illinois site even once until my final read through. Only then did I notice that my closing paragraph on diversification needed to refer to Illinois, too. I'm convinced that taking...

The fourth question is May I ever use their as a neutral pronoun The answer is no. Even though many people use the word their as a gender-neutral pronoun in business conversation, employing this usage in writing should be avoided it is considered too informal. There's no question that English lacks a gender-neutral pronoun and that it would be handy to have one. The question is what to do without it. Consider, for example, this sentence Mohammed and Hannah have initiated a discussion project so...

Hannah, a self-employed weaver, explained that she sends letters to specialty gift stores asking them to consider carrying her products. I have a lot of trouble, Hannah says, finding new ways to say the same thing. Here's how Hannah's most recent letter began As you plan your fall inventory assortment, I invite you to add a selection of my afghans and placemat sets to your product mix. Handwoven, they are of the highest quality wool and in unique colors. Hannah wanted to replace two terms that...

A dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence should be separated from the independent clause that follows it by a comma. (Dependent clauses often start with the words after, although, as, because, if, since, when, or while, among other words.) Although Mr. Samuels meant it for the best, his comment was counterproductive. As it turned out, we were able to attend the conference. Because of the change in leadership, the project deadline was extended. If a dependent clause follows or...

Sometimes it's not cost-effective to use people's names. In some mass mailings, for example, even with a mail-merge capability, the cost of adding individual names may not be deemed an appropriate expenditure. Instead, ask yourself why you're writing to these people and how that relates to something they want or need. By honing in on why your readers might want to read your communication, it becomes easier to identify what the shared interest is. Julia, a manager of software development at a...

Click Here for Terms of Use. Even messages that are more informational and matter-of-fact than persuasive need to be believable. Your sincerity and passion need to come through in order to motivate your readers to act. One of the ways you can achieve a professional tone is by adding specific details. Numbers, facts, statistics, examples, and illustrations all contribute to the credibility of your communications. Weave them into your text to increase...

Revise to a second draft with the Empathy Index, and focus on the lead and salutation. Add a snappy close. (And consider adding a P.S., addendum, appendix, enclosures, or attachments.) Select the best words using the principle of FURY. Ensure the writing is concise, clear, positive, and parallel. Check your grammar, punctuation, word usage, and capitalization. Make the draft visually appealing. Review the following summary of Brad's project. After you complete each step, compare your work to...

Adhering to the principles of parallel construction facilitates readers' comprehension of your messages, reduces your writing and revision effort, creates a pleasing rhythm to the writing, and adds professionalism to your communications. You should adhere to the decisions you make consistently throughout a document, and often throughout all of the documents produced within an organization. Some examples of parallel construction issues are titles, names, and honorifics sentence or clause...

Giving a specific action instruction increases the likelihood that your readers will act. For example, Maureen, benefits manager in the human resources department of a paper manufacturer, wrote an article for her company's employee newsletter about mutual fund options newly available in the 401(k) retirement plan. We were scared that the floodgates would open and we'd be overwhelmed with calls, she explained. So I ended the article by saying 'For further information about the new options, to...

Inserting an adverb between to and the verb, called splitting the infinitive, often results in awkward or confusing sentences. It frequently weakens your writing, although there are certain circumstances, discussed below, where it's an appropriate alternative. For example, consider the sentence He must strive to even meet the extended deadline. The sentence is not only awkward in construction, it's unclear as well. Is he having trouble meeting the deadline or is the deadline unrealistic Isn't...

Brad's company manufactures customized novelty items such as snow globes, tote bags, key chains, and other impulse-purchase and promotional items. The company ships orders directly from its factories to retail outlets, its primary customer base. More than 40 percent of sales come from small gift stores located in tourist areas in Florida. Almost 60 percent of sales are spread among various retailers in thirteen other states. The company has two factories, one in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the...

Quotation marks should only be used for a speaker's exact words. Don't modify words if you're going to use quotation marks. The following example shows the correct use of commas when quoting a speaker. In her opening remarks, Ms. Kingsley said, As I said a year ago, business is great Notice the positions of the three commas in the sentence 1. after the introductory prepositional phrase (In her opening remarks) 2. between the attribution of the quote and the quote (Ms. Kingsley said) 3. after...

Referring to your readers by name is one of the easiest ways to increase your Empathy Index. You need to be careful, however, because overuse of someone's name can sound like an affectation, as if you're a phony or obsequious. In the discussion later in this chapter regarding salutations, you'll learn that using someone's name at the start of your communication is almost always a good idea (e.g., Dear George, or Dear Dr. Janson). You might also consider closing with a reference to your reader...

A positive Empathy Index ensures that your writing is benefit oriented and reader focused. You can use any of the four techniques, or you can use a combination of the four. For example, notice how all four approaches are integrated in the following memo from Mary Jo, a crises hot line executive director, to the hot line's volunteers. Mary Jo uses pronouns, refers to shared interest, addresses her readers by job title, and allows inference to her readers to be made as well. It's easy to skip...

Now that you know how to determine which level of editing is appropriate for your projects, it's time to discover whether you are able to identify common errors. The following quiz will help you assess your own level of knowledge about common grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling issues. It's important that you acknowledge your abilities and inabilities as a writer and proofreader. Until you know what errors you don't catch, and learn strategies to find problems and fix them, you...

Click Here for Terms of Use. In order to calculate your Empathy Index, count the number of references to your target readers them. Count references to your readers by Next, count references to yourself and your organization us. (When the word we refers to both the reader and writer, don't count it.) When the two numbers are subtracted (us from them), you should end up with a positive number. The higher the positive number, the more reader focused the writing. The...

Nancee, a self-employed makeup artist, writes sales letters, proposals, business correspondence, E-mails, and Web copy. I hate to write she explains. But in business, I have to. So I do. What I've learned over the years, though, is that people hire me for my expertise and upbeat personality, not my writing ability, or as I like to joke, my writing inability Still, I know how important it is that I convey a highly professional image. Proofing matters a lot. In evaluating Nancee's circumstances,...

In the last chapter, you learned four easy-to-use tactics to improve your writing. You discovered how to achieve conciseness, enhance clarity, establish a positive tone, and maintain parallel construction. In this chapter, we're going to look at the level of proofreading that is appropriate for your projects and discuss the types of errors, omissions, and inconsistencies for which you'll need to proof. You'll also be alerted to the most common grammatical and punctuation errors found in...

In the last chapter, we reviewed different levels of proofreading. You learned how to determine which of the three levels of proofreading is appropriate for your various projects and how to check your work within each level. You also took a quiz to help you understand how much you know about common grammar and punctuation quandaries. In this chapter, you'll learn strategies to remember the basic grammar, word usage, and capitalization rules for business writing. You'll also take part in several...

Commas indicate a pause in the sentence. In business writing, you need to use commas in the following circumstances 1. to separate independent clauses 2. to separate dependent and independent clauses 3. to separate a quote from its attribution 4. to set aside intervening, modifying phrases 5. to separate units within a list (sometimes a semicolon is required) These five circumstances account for most of the comma usage in business writing. By learning these rules and adhering to them, your...

Leaving eyeglass frames scattered over the counter looks chaotic and unappealing to customers entering our stores. It also creates confusion in customers who are trying on frames, making it hard for them to make a choice. Effective immediately, please ensure that frames aren't left haphazardly on the counter. Thanks for your cooperation. Best, Les A positive two is a good score. Although it could be even stronger, Les did a fine job of maintaining a reader focus in his first draft. 7. How are...

In order to create the sense of urgency needed to get your target readers to take the action that you want them to take, you need to understand their needs and wants, and you need to address them with the proper level of formality. Together, these two steps understanding what's likely to motivate your readers and identifying the appropriate level of formality enable you to write to your specific audience these steps comprisse the second tool of this chapter. Before you write, you need to think...

If you capitalize all letters within an E-mail, you're likely to hear from your reader, Stop shouting at me All caps are considered shouting. When you capitalize a word you are adding emphasis or importance, or otherwise highlighting the word. Be cautious about conveying the significance resulting from capitalizing a word. The points that follow outline when it's proper to capitalize words and when it's considered optional. (Note that you don't capitalize seasons except in a title or if...

Several grammar and punctuation rules have changed since you learned them in English class, and in order to produce professional writing, you need to be aware of the new criteria. The answers to the five questions that follow serve as guidelines to help you use up-to-date standards in your business writing. The five questions are 1. May I start a sentence with a transitional word such as and or but 2. May I end a sentence with a preposition 4. May I ever use their as a neutral pronoun 5. How...

Starting sentences with a verb, a writing technique using the imperative mood, is a forceful way to make a point, and it implies the pronoun you. For example, if you write, Attend the meeting and let me know whether an agreement is reached, the reference to your reader is understood. You're really saying, You attend the meeting and you let me know whether an agreement is reached. In this example, note that we would count two references to your reader, because you are implying the pronoun you...

Andrea, the owner of the insurance consulting firm who discovered that her boilerplate business letters needed to be proofed using Level Two standards says, My proposals are more complex, even though I send out only one proposal per subject and they're not huge. Five to ten pages is quite modest by some proposal standards. I once saw a grant proposal that ran over a hundred pages. But still, this is my bread and butter. It is essential to me that my proposals are perfect in every way. I used...

Using a visual layout makes sense when you have long units of copy containing more than five facts, statistics, or numbers. For example, consider an annual report that asks readers to compare the past four quarters' revenue figures within a paragraph of text. No problem. But now imagine being asked to compare the past twelve months' revenue figures within a paragraph of text. Impossible. Instead of narrative text, use a bar chart to make the information easy to access and easy to understand....

Ending with a question involves readers by inviting them to think. I wanted to challenge people to come up with ideas, Max says. Creative director of an internal advertising department in the textile industry, Max ended a staff E-mail looking for new promotional ideas with T-shirts and baseball caps. Tote bags and pens. We need a fresh approach. Any ideas He explained, Ending with a question helps people focus. Sarah, a freelance writer, wanted to win approval for an article idea. She ended her...

Modifying phrases add information, often providing valuable or interesting details that clarify or expand ideas. Setting off these phrases with punctuation helps the reader understand the relationship between the modification and the main thought. Whenever you punctuate a modifying phrase, there are always three options, and the marks are properly used in pairs. 1. Use commas to convey neutrality. 2. Use parentheses to indicate that the modifying phrase is an aside. 3. Use dashes to highlight...

Certain time-related words and phrases inspire action, such as now, today, before the deadline passes, right away, time is of the essence, and by the end of business today or in an hour, or by any other specified deadline . This time-sensitive vocabulary creates a sense of urgency while maintaining a professional, business-like tone. While the above and similar phrases create a sense of timeliness, try to avoid the clich d generic phrase as soon as possible or its abbreviation, ASAP . It is...

Certain words must be followed by certain prepositions in order to achieve clarity. Learning these combinations will help you conform to professional standards in business writing. The following list of common combinations clarifies which preposition to use when. account for to explain or justify something missing account to to explain or justify something to someone He needs to account for his absence at the client meeting. He will have to account to Mr. Peterson for missing the client...

Gloria, an administrative assistant in a silk flower company, said, My boss sends out proposals to hotel executives. Her ideas are good, but she's wordy. I always have to revise her writing, but it's important that I preserve her meaning. Read the following paragraph from one of the proposals Gloria needs to revise, and rewrite it so that it's clear, focused, and appropriately short. As the leader in the silk flower industry, we create arrangements that are lush and full and always custom...

The first question is May I start a sentence with a transitional word such as and or but Many of us learned in school that we were never to begin sentences with words such as and, but, because, so, therefore, or any other transitional expression. But just as in normal business conversations we begin sentences with and, but, because, so, therefore, and other similar words and phrases, it is accepted practice to use these words and phrases to begin sentences in business writing if doing so sounds...

In the following first draft of an E-mail to retail sales staff, Les, the merchandising manager of a one-hour eyeglasses store chain, wants to institute a policy that the in-store sales staff shouldn't leave eyeglass frames scattered on the counter. Les explained that he struggled with how to word the E-mail. I didn't want to issue an edict, he explained. I wanted to position it as a sales strategy. Read Les's first draft, answer the questions, and then revise the E-mail, addressing the issues...

Rewrite the sentences below, making all appropriate corrections. 1. the team leader is ms. feeney. 2. the keynote speaker, dr. leon williams, chairman, will speak on wednesday. 3. the first draft of the budget is due friday, january 1. 4. payments for unemployment taxes are sent to the new york department of taxation. 5. uncle joel and aunt maria are staying at the sheraton hotel on the avenue of the americas. 6. i just finished watching cnn news on channel 2. 7. we want to visit red rocks when...

In a traditional outline, numerals and letters are used to create a hierarchy of information. Your primary points are labeled with large roman numerals. Subpoints under primary point use capital letters. The next level down uses regular numbers, followed by lowercase letters, and so on. Following the strict outlining conventions, you need at least two points within each category, although in business writing, there is far more flexibility. Sarah, a director in a health care company, decided to...

Ben Franklin once wrote, Never use a longer word when a shorter word will do. Brevity is a virtue in business writing. Impatient executives, time-strapped managers, and overloaded workers want you to get to Copyright 2003 by Jane Cleland. Click Here for Terms of Use. the point. But effective business writing requires more than brevity it requires clear messages delivered in an unambiguous style. The first tactic, conciseness, demands that you write succinctly. The need to address this issue...

It's important to use the same verb tense within a list. Consider the following sentence, for example Applicants will be interviewed, tested, and after the interview they can ask questions. Notice the first two verbs are in the past tense interviewed and tested. The last verb, however, is constructed differently can ask. It would be better to maintain the same grammatical construction throughout Applicants will be interviewed, tested, and invited to ask questions. The job description must be...